Concerned students of polytechnics took to the streets of Lagos yesterday to protest the eight months old polytechnic teachers strike. Many of the students carried placard with various inscriptions such as “We are tied of sleeping”, and “We can’t even remember our matric numbers” among others.
The peaceful protest which was coordinated by the students union representatives of Yaba College of Technology had been put together to join the struggle of the striking lecturers. The president of the students union, Comrade Ganiyu Salvador said that the
students’ body decided to embark on the protest because the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has not been sensitive about their plight. “We decided to express our grievances by ourselves because nobody seems to be speaking for us. The national body of Nigerian students have not been saying anything about our strike but they were active during the ASUU strike. “ We therefore asked that the body should be changed to National Association of University Students while we in the polytechnic will form our own body that will represent us rightly”.
Salvador added that the students are protesting in order to make the government to quickly accede to the demands of their lecturers, so that they could return to the classrooms. Part of the demands of students were for the strike to be urgently called off while discrimination against polytechnic graduates should be addressed. He stressed that the federal government has not been fair with the handling of the strike. He noted that federal government was active during the university lecturers strike but not sensitive enough to the plight of polytechnic teachers. “It is unfortunate that the supervising minister of education was actively involved in the discussions of the recently suspended strike of university lecturers but he has been playing politics with the plights of polytechnic teachers,” he added. At the administrative building of the school, the students were received by the top officials which includes the director, Public Affairs and Dean Students Affairs among others. The director, public relations, Mr Charles Oni urged the students to remain peaceful with their protest because it has nothing to do with the school authorities. “We thank you for this peaceful protest because it is warranted and anticipated because you have sat at home for a long time and your demonstration is a pointer to the fact that you really know your future, you are holding your future in your palms and that you valued being in school, that is very great. “I salute your courage, I salute your vision and I salute your mission but I want to tell you that this issue about ASUP strike is not a Yabatech problem at all. Yabatech people had been settled. We have to join because of the solidarity because in labour market, an injury to one is an injury to all”...
Source: Campus portal
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The peaceful protest which was coordinated by the students union representatives of Yaba College of Technology had been put together to join the struggle of the striking lecturers. The president of the students union, Comrade Ganiyu Salvador said that the
students’ body decided to embark on the protest because the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has not been sensitive about their plight. “We decided to express our grievances by ourselves because nobody seems to be speaking for us. The national body of Nigerian students have not been saying anything about our strike but they were active during the ASUU strike. “ We therefore asked that the body should be changed to National Association of University Students while we in the polytechnic will form our own body that will represent us rightly”.
Salvador added that the students are protesting in order to make the government to quickly accede to the demands of their lecturers, so that they could return to the classrooms. Part of the demands of students were for the strike to be urgently called off while discrimination against polytechnic graduates should be addressed. He stressed that the federal government has not been fair with the handling of the strike. He noted that federal government was active during the university lecturers strike but not sensitive enough to the plight of polytechnic teachers. “It is unfortunate that the supervising minister of education was actively involved in the discussions of the recently suspended strike of university lecturers but he has been playing politics with the plights of polytechnic teachers,” he added. At the administrative building of the school, the students were received by the top officials which includes the director, Public Affairs and Dean Students Affairs among others. The director, public relations, Mr Charles Oni urged the students to remain peaceful with their protest because it has nothing to do with the school authorities. “We thank you for this peaceful protest because it is warranted and anticipated because you have sat at home for a long time and your demonstration is a pointer to the fact that you really know your future, you are holding your future in your palms and that you valued being in school, that is very great. “I salute your courage, I salute your vision and I salute your mission but I want to tell you that this issue about ASUP strike is not a Yabatech problem at all. Yabatech people had been settled. We have to join because of the solidarity because in labour market, an injury to one is an injury to all”...
Source: Campus portal
Share this information with friends...